Virginia and Wisconsin report measles cases among refugees

By BEN FINLEY
Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Officials in Virginia and Wisconsin say that six people who recently traveled to the U.S. from Afghanistan have been diagnosed with measles. The cases are being reported in the wake of the U.S. halting in-bound flights of Afghan evacuees Friday after the discovery of a few measles cases. Virginia health officials reported five cases Tuesday. They’re contacting people who risked exposure at Dulles International Airport, a Richmond hospital and Fort Pickett. That’s an Army National Guard base providing temporary housing to recently arrived evacuees. Military officials also confirmed one case at Wisconsin’s Fort McCoy. The army base is temporarily housing 8,000 people. Measles is a highly contagious disease. Most Americans were vaccinated against it as children.